Georgia Holt

Georgia Holt (born Jackie Jean Crouch; June 9, 1926) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and model. She is the mother of singer and actress Cher.

Born Jackie Jean Crouch in Kensett, Arkansas in 1926 to Lynda Inez Gulley (reportedly aged 13) and Roy Malloy Crouch (a 21-year-old baker), Holt is of Irish, English, German, French, Dutch, and possibly Cherokee descent. She frequently moved back and forth between her separated parents. Holt has estimated that she attended 17 junior high schools. Her father taught her how to sing and play guitar.

Holt married six men; two of them twice. She and her first husband, John Sarkisian (who she later remarried and redivorced after their first marriage), had daughter Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946). She later married actor John Southall, by whom she had her other child, actress Georganne LaPiere (born Georganne Elizabeth Southall on September 7, 1951). In 1961, Holt married Gilbert Hartmann LaPiere, a bank manager, who legally adopted Cher and Georganne, changing their last names to LaPiere. Through Cher, Holt has two grandchildren, Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman.

Holt sang on an Oklahoma City radio station when she was six years old, and by age 10 sang with bandleader Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. She won several talent and beauty competitions. She had several minor television and film roles in the 1950s. After performing in a singers' workshop in July 1978 at Studio One in Los Angeles, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore booked Holt to appear on their television talk shows.

Holt was the subject of the 2013 Lifetime documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher, which was executive produced by her daughter, Cher. Holt also released her album Honky Tonk Woman, which was recorded in 1982, in 2013. The album includes a duet with Cher titled "I'm Just Your Yesterday".